Face Down
by cellochick373
Summary: Natalia has to deal with Nick coming back for her. Mostly about her struggle, trying to overcome everything. Calleigh/Natalia friendship and some Eric/Natalia stuff too;p Please R&R!
1. Lyrical Prologue

**Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down Lyrics**

* * *

Hey girl you know you drive me crazy

One look puts the rhythm in my hand.

Still I'll never understand why you hang around

I see what's going down.

Cover up with make up in the mirror

Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again

You cry alone and then he swears he loves you.

Do you feel like a man

When you push her around?

Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end

As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.

A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect

Every action in this world will bear a consequence

If you wade around forever you will surely drown

I see what's going down.

I see the way you go and say your right again,

Say your right again

Heed my lecture

Do you feel like a man

When you push her around?

Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end

As your lies crumble down a new life she has found.

Face down in the dirt she says, this doesn't hurt she says I finally had enough..

Face down in the dirt she says, this doesn't hurt she says I finally had enough..

One day she will tell you that she has had enough

Its coming round again.

Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?

Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end

As your lies crumble down, a new life she has.

Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?

Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end

As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.

Face down in the dirt she says, this doesn't hurt she says I finally had enough..

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**A very fitting song, thanks to RJA for writing it!:)))) Ok, enjoy the story!  
**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is a total work in progress! I'm very new to the show, and this is my first fanfic ever, so please review it to let me know what you think. Mostly focuses on Natalia and everything she's gone through, I guess the timeline is before Nick dies? I prolly took some liberties w/ the characters, but again, I'm new at this:)**

* * *

Natalia Boa Vista took a deep breath before stepping out of her car. Her arm was in a cast and sling, but makeup paired with a long sleeved blouse pretty well covered the bruises. Her lip was a little swollen, but she had been able to cover everything fairly well for the most part. She had spent hours trying to make the bruises as inconspicuous as possible before putting on her shirt. The last thing she wanted was for someone else to get involved.

As she walked into the office Eric and Ryan stopped talking abruptly and started to go the other way. Eric turned, about to leave, but he suddenly realized she was in a sling. _What happened?_ He wondered, walking after Natalia. She might not be his favorite person at the moment, but he couldn't stand to see her hurt.

He came up behind her and gently touched her shoulder. A squeak of pain escaped Natalia as she jumped at his unexpected touch. "Natalia, it's just me!" Eric said, unable to fathom her reaction. "Are you ok?" Natalia opened her eyes, trying to slow her racing heart and keep her mask of serenity intact. She was pretty sure she failed, but she answered as nonchalantly as she could, "I'm fine. I fell down and hurt my arm, no biggie." She walked away fast, and Eric looked after her worriedly. He didn't know exactly what to make of her, but he knew something wasn't right.

* * *

Natalia made her way to her lab quickly. She didn't want to talk to anyone, Eric possibly least of all. She didn't want to have to lie to everyone about what happened, she didn't want to be reminded of what had happened the day before.

_The previous day..._

_Natalia sat in her lab, deep in thought. She knew that her ex-husband, Nick Townsend, had been released from prison the day before, and she couldn't shake the ominous feeling that had been growing since then. _

_She went ahead and paged Calleigh to let her know that the results she had asked for were in. A few minutes later she heard the lab door open, __and Natalia looked up with a smile, thinking it would be Calleigh coming for the results. _

_Instead of Calleigh's face, however, it was a face from her nightmares, the face that haunted her every move. "Nick, what are you doing here?" She asked. The fear she felt was written across her face, and she took a step backwards. "I just came by to say hi, baby," Nick sneered, steeping towards her. "Leave. I don't want you here," Natalia gestured towards the door, but Nick just grinned and closed it solidly. She tried to move around him, and he smacked her across the face, splitting her lip. _

_"Come on, now, is that any way to welcome home your husband?" he spat at her. He practically leaped towards her then, taking her arms in a vise-like grip. She cried out, and was rewarded with a hard punch to her gut. She fell back away from Nick, as he stood and watched with satisfaction. _

_Nick moved towards Natalia, giving her a look that said if she made so much as a peep she would pay dearly. She backed up, trying to find a way out of the lab, but her back hit the wall and a small moan escaped her as she realized she was trapped. _

_"Please Nick..." her voice trailed off as he continued his advance, grinning at her obvious inability to do anything. She tried to dart around him, making a last desperate attempt at escape. He grabbed her wrists, forcing her back against the wall. "That was really, really stupid, sweetheart," he breathed in her ear. Natalia struggled, but Nick quickly twisted her wrists in such a way that she felt they were going to break. She heard a faint crack as her right wrist finally gave way beneath the pressure Nick was exerting, and she bit her lip hard to suppress a scream of pain. Nick smirked at her weakness, then dropped her wrists and let her fall to the floor in a shaking heap. _

_He fairly waltzed out of the lab room, confident once again in his power and absolute control over her. He thought about going back to shake her up a little more, but the click of heels coming down the hallway told him it would be better to just wait. Wait, and plan._

* * *

Natalia shuddered as the memories and images flashed through her head. She shook it hard, trying to clear them and forget about it.

At the sound of the door opening Natalia quickly looked up, but upon seeing that it was Calleigh she sighed and offered her a small smile.

Calleigh looked at her for a moment before asking, "What happened to your arm?" Natalia looked down, hesitating to lie to Calleigh. She realized that she couldn't tell Calleigh without putting her at risk from Nick, so she put on her biggest fake smile and quickly answered, "It's fine, Cal. I just fell and hurt it, but it should be ok."

Natalia could feel Calleigh scrutinizing her, and she tried to think of a better excuse. She was caught off guard when Calleigh suddenly asked her, "Where were you yesterday? I got your page, but when I came down there was nobody here. Some of your stuff was knocked over...are you sure everything is alright?"

Nodding her head, Natalia scanned Calleigh's face for any sign of suspicion, but she didn't meet her eyes. Sighing, Calleigh said, "Well, if you ever want to talk I'm here. In the meantime, I have something for you." She raised the hand holding the small baggy to indicate what she needed, but all Natalia saw in her peripheral vision was a hand going up quickly.

She instinctively recoiled, forgetting where she was and who she was with. It all happened so fast that Calleigh barely had time to take it all in. One second Natalia was just standing there handing her a sample, and the next she was backed up against the lab table, as far away from Calleigh as she could get.

"Are you all right?" Calleigh asked, trying to figure out exactly what had just happened. Natalia's eyes were closed and her breathing was uneven and harsh.

"Natalia?" Calleigh questioned. Natalia slowly opened her eyes, looking around. She started when she saw Calleigh, but everything quickly came flooding back. She could see the question in Calleigh's eyes, but more than that she could also see the hurt, the confusion.

_Did she really think I was going to hit her?_ Calleigh was more than a little disturbed by the thought, but more so by Natalia's reaction. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Natalia babbled. The fear and small sense of relief was written across her face, and Calleigh couldn't help but reach out her hand to her.

Natalia flinched as the hand came towards her, but she managed to refrain from completely losing it. Her reaction was still noted by Calleigh, who began to wonder. "Hey, it's ok," she said.

"I know, I'm sorry, it's not you, it's..." Natalia's voice trailed off as she stopped herself. She tried again. "Someone I know...he just got out of jail, and I guess I'm a little jumpy." Calleigh looked at Natalia carefully, before slowly reaching an arm around her and pulling her close. Natalia's body tensed at the touch, but she slowly relaxed.

As Calleigh hugged Natalia's small frame, she was struck by the fragility of it. To her surprise, Natalia hugged her back, just a little, but enough to tell Calleigh that she needed her.

"Thank you." Natalia whispered. Calleigh smiled at her, amazed at the sudden protectiveness she felt. "Don't mention it. If you ever need anything-and I do mean anything- please come find me. Please?" The last word was more of a question, asking Natalia to let her in and accept her help.

Natalia nodded slowly, "Ok." A small smile came onto her face, and she moved to get the new sample. "Now, let's get back to work."

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**Alright, so I know that this is bad, but somehow I started incorporating elements of my own life into this fic. Don't ask me how that happened, but somewhere along the way my subconscious started writing stuff into the fic that's happened to me, and it's a little disconcerting. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this, so please let me know if you have any suggestions. Reviews are appreciated!  
**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: This is a total work in progress! I'm very new to the show, and this is my first fanfic ever, so please review it to let me know what you think. Mostly focuses on Natalia and everything she's gone through, I guess the timeline is before Nick dies? I prolly took some liberties w/ the characters, but again, I'm new at this:)**

* * *

Calleigh walked down the hallway towards the break room with Natalia. She glanced at her once, but Natalia seemed fine. She was pretty animated, and Calleigh began to allow herself to relax. Maybe Natalia really had just fallen and was a little jumpy. The more she thought about it, and based on how she was acting now, the more Calleigh started to convince herself that everything was fine and she was over-reacting. Natalia chattered on about some random encounter with a friend the day before, and Calleigh smiled and nodded as she listened.

Looking towards the end of the hall, Calleigh noticed two men standing talking to each other. She didn't recognize them, but she figured they were just temporarily working on something. Suddenly, she heard a small noise and realized that Natalia was no longer next to her. Calleigh looked around, and saw Natalia a few feet behind her, leaning up against a wall for support, eyes riveted on the men.

"Natalia?" Calleigh questioned. Without her eyes ever leaving the men Natalia moved into a doorway where she was hidden from view. Calleigh followed her as the men began to walk up the stairs. Natalia's eyes were unfocused and she was visibly shaking as she sank down against the wall the second she was sure the men were out of sight. Looking down at her Calleigh could see the unadulterated fear on her face and decided that she needed to get her somewhere safer and less open, somewhere where they could talk.

"Come on, sweet pea, let's go over here," she told Natalia, keeping her voice low. Natalia slowly refocused, but she refused to meet Calleigh's eyes as she stood and followed Calleigh the remainder of the way to the break room. Once inside, she sat down heavily as Calleigh closed the door. The low lights in the break room helped calm her racing heart, but she could still feel how on-edge her nerves were, and she was sure she looked terrible. Natalia rested her head in her arms as Calleigh came over and sat next to her, and she could feel the concern in Calleigh's voice as she began to speak.

"'Talia, are you okay?" Natalia nodded her head, her thoughts conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted so much for Calleigh to leave and let her face her misery and fear on her own. At the same time, however, she desperately needed for Calleigh to stay, to care, to insist that she open up to her. And really, she did. Natalia had never thought it would be possible for her to trust anyone again, but she had found herself growing comfortable with the other CSIs as she worked with them. They had accepted her, and while they hadn't been happy about her being the mole, they had mostly forgiven her. _Well, at least except for Ryan _she thought to herself. He still harbored a grudge, but Eric and Calleigh and Horatio and Alex had been understanding of it after a while. Regardless, she was having to fight not to blurt everything out to Calleigh.

Natalia shook her head as she heard Calleigh start to talk again.

"Who did you think you saw?"

"Nobody..." Natalia trailed off unconvincingly.

"Natalia, please. You can tell me. You _should _tell me."

"Calleigh..." Natalia stopped, ready to just reassure Calleigh that everything was fine, when it hit her. Everything _wasn't _fine, and denying it wasn't going to change anything or make it all go away. That thought seemed to break the mental dam, and the words started to just spill out of their own accord.

"Calleigh, it's complicated. His name is Nick...he's my ex husband. He just got out of prison." Calleigh watched her, trying to remain calm and prepare herself for the words she had a feeling were coming. "He was there for almost beating me to death." Before she could stop to think about what she was doing, she was telling Calleigh everything. She was telling her about how wonderful it had been in the beginning, how she loved him and thought he loved her. How it had gone downhill, how she had ended up broken and alone, cut off from everyone when she needed them the most. She told Calleigh about the countless ER visits at 3am, having to lie to the doctors, her friends, her sisters. Everything that he had done to her came out, until she finally was telling Calleigh about the night when she tried to leave. The night when she should have died by all rights. The night when someone finally heard her cries for help, and he was put behind bars. She knew she was giving Calleigh way too much info, but she couldn't help it. She hoped that Calleigh would be able to process the information overload as she finished talking, knowing that if anyone could do it it would be Calleigh.

Natalia grimaced slightly at the look on Calleigh's face when she stopped talking, so she tried to downplay it, hoping that it would prevent Calleigh from taking off. "It wasn't anything major," the look on Calleigh's face changed to disbelief and she started to say something before Natalia cut her off, "I'm fine now, really. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you, it just came out..." She looked away, waiting to hear Calleigh's chair scrape and the door slam as she left. Everyone always left, she was always alone. To her surprise, she felt Calleigh's warm hand suddenly cover her own, and she turned to look at Calleigh.

"Natalia, he hurt your arm?" Calleigh asked quietly. Natalia bit her lip before slowly nodding. "In the lab, yesterday...I don't know how he found me..." Natalia's eyes welled with tears as she tried to continue. "And then, just now in the hallway... I don't know how he can still control me so much without even looking at me. I'm sorry, I just got so scared..." Staring at the table she whispered, "You must think I'm so weak."

Shocked that Natalia would ever think such a thing, Calleigh took Natalia's face in her hands almost unconsciously, forcing Natalia to look at her. "Natalia, you have to be one of the bravest, strongest people I know. I could never think of you as weak!" In Natalia's eyes Calleigh could see the tiniest bit of the fear, the pain, that she had endured at her ex-husband's hands.

Natalia pulled back and wiped her eyes, offering Calleigh a watery smile. A small movement in the shadows caught Calleigh's attention, and she stood. "'Talia, I'll be right back." she said, going in the direction of the narrow hall leading to the restrooms. She kept one hand on her gun as she started down the small hallway, all her senses on high alert. She jumped as someone moved.

"Calleigh?" She knew that voice. She quickly stepped towards him, wanting to make sure. "Eric?" Calleigh heard a sigh of relief, and knew that it was him. "What are you doing back here?" As he answered she was startled by the quaver in his voice. "I was back here, and then I heard you and Natalia come in, and I... I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I didn't want to come out, and she was talking, and..."

"Eric, how much did you hear?" Calleigh asked, already knowing the answer.

"Everything."

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**Again, the parallels to my own life are getting weird... it's kinda cathartic to write about it from an outside point of view tho, and it's giving me a better idea of where i want to take this. Keep in mind that it is still FICTION, so I am trying to write it to turn out how maybe everything like this should turn out. Maybe not tho, stay tuned to find out what happens:)  
**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: This is a total work in progress! I'm very new to the show, and this is my first fanfic ever, so please review it to let me know what you think. Mostly focuses on Natalia and everything she's gone through, I guess the timeline is before Nick dies? I prolly took some liberties w/ the characters, but again, I'm new at this:)**

* * *

Calleigh started to say something to Eric, but they both suddenly froze when they heard the door to the break room open.

An unfamiliar voice said loudly, "Hey, babe." The gravelly, sinister voice was enough to send shivers down Calleigh's back.

"I thought I saw you come in here. Where'd your friend go?" Calleigh moved closer to the end of the hallway to try and get a better look at the speaker. A medium height man with a crew cut and muscled arms stood in front of Natalia, blocking her way to the door.

"She was kinda cute, you know. Maybe you could introduce us sometime." He smirked down at Natalia, and Calleigh blanched as she realized that he was talking about her.

"Leave her out of this Nick," Natalia said, her voice steady but soft. "She has nothing to do with me."

"Ha you got that right. Nobody has anything to do with you babe. You're not worth their time." Natalia stood quickly, trying to maneuver her way around him, but knowing before she even started that it was hopeless. She hoped that Calleigh would be ok, and that she wouldn't come in. Grabbing her already bruised arm, he caused her to emit a small cry of pain as he hissed "You have _nobody. _Nobody gives a damn what happens to you."

At that, Calleigh felt Eric shove past her with surprising force.

"She has me." He stated calmly, looking Nick straight in the face. "And if I were you, I would let her go right now." Calleigh took that as her cue, walking out with one hand on her gun. "You can't be in here, sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Nick stood there, looking between the man, the blonde, and Natalia. Where had they come from? He didn't know quite what to do. Well no, actually, he thought, he knew exactly what he wanted to do, but the blonde had a gun and he didn't want to tangle with her until he was ready. He released Natalia for a moment, but then caught her by the shoulder and spun her around so she was next to him.

"Hey, come on now, I'm just visiting an old friend here. What's so wrong about that?" Calleigh could see the terror and pain on Natalia's face as she closed her eyes, trying to pretend none of this was happening. Eric looked at Calleigh, not sure if he would be able to control his rage if he tried to talk. Calleigh nodded at him before turning to Nick and glaring at him. "Ok, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave regardless. Our team is very busy, we need all of our members working." Nick flashed her a grin before releasing Natalia and walking out of the room. "Later," he called over his shoulder to Natalia.

The word seemed to break Natalia out of her trance, and Calleigh saw her wobble as her legs started to go out from under her. She moved to catch her, but Eric beat her to it. Natalia felt strong arms close around her, keeping her upright and off the floor. She looked up to see Eric, an intensely worried look on his face. "Nat, you ok?" he asked, half-carrying her to a couch. Natalia tried to speak, but couldn't seem to get the words out. She finally settled for just nodding her head. Eric looked over her head at Calleigh, who gave him a helpless look.

They both jumped at the sound of a small sob escaping Natalia as her shoulders began to shake. Tears rolled down her face as she took in the full extent of what had just happened. She flinched as a gentle hand touched her shoulder, but relaxed as she felt Calleigh's soothing touch telling her it was ok to let it out. Eric cradled her in his arms as Calleigh held her from the other side and rubbed her back. He didn't know exactly what he was going to do yet, but he knew he would never let Natalia be hurt again.

Natalia finally quieted, and sighed shakily into his chest. She looked up at him, then turned to look at Calleigh. Her voice was raspy as she said, "I'm sorry." Eric and Calleigh looked at each other in disbelief, unsure whether they had heard her correctly. "Honey, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. That creep gets all the credit and then some." Calleigh said. Eric stood, trying not to dislodge Natalia as he did so. "C'mon, we're going to see H and talk to him about this. Don't worry Nat, he'll figure something out."

* * *

**So, the length is all over the place, I was going to try to do something else with this chapter, but it was a long day and this was the best I could come up with...sorry! Definitely not my best writing, but please keep the reviews coming- i live for comments and messages!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: This is a total work in progress! I'm very new to the show, and this is my first fanfic ever, so please review it to let me know what you think. Mostly focuses on Natalia and everything she's gone through, I guess the timeline is before Nick dies? I prolly took some liberties w/ the characters, but again, I'm new at this:)**

* * *

Horatio Caine sat at his desk, staring sightlessly at a mound of paperwork. He was getting increasingly worried about one of his CSI's, Natalia Boa Vista. He knew her ex-husband, Nick Townsend, had just gotten out of jail, and he knew exactly why he had been there in the first place. She had left unexpectedly yesterday, calling him to tell him that she wasn't feeling well. Then today, she had shown up with her arm in a sling and a long-sleeved blouse despite the 90 degree heat.

It didn't add up, and he was debating calling her down to his office when the door suddenly opened. Horatio looked up, a bit surprised that whoever it was hadn't knocked, and saw Eric stride into the office. With a single look Horatio could tell that Eric was on edge, angry, and hurt. He was about to say something when he saw Calleigh come in, supporting a drawn and exhausted Natalia. Instantly the pieces of the puzzle clicked together in his mind, and he stood.

"H, we need to talk to you," Eric said. Horatio nodded, sitting back down and gesturing to Calleigh that she and Natalia should sit on the small couch. Natalia fairly collapsed onto the couch, and leaned against Calleigh as she sat down next to her. Both Natalia and Calleigh looked utterly exhausted, but Natalia seemed to be the worse-off of the two.

Horatio could see that she was holding her wrist and trying to move as little as possible, leading him to believe that she was in considerable pain. Tearing his gaze away from Natalia and Calleigh, he looked back to Eric and said, "Why don't you tell me what's going on."

Eric started to tell Horatio everything he knew, from the beginning. Calleigh supplied a few extra details that he didn't know about, and Horatio found himself gripping the wood of his desk painfully hard as he listened. He couldn't believe that someone had been hurting Natalia so much without his ever knowing. It killed him that a member of what he considered to be his family had been hurt and he hadn't done anything about it.

As Eric finished telling Horatio about what had just happened in the break room, Horatio stood again, glancing at Natalia and Calleigh once more as he did. Calleigh had a protective arm around Natalia now, and Natalia was refusing to meet his eyes.

"Ok, here's what I want everyone to do. Calleigh, I would like for you to stay with Ms. Boa Vista until such time comes when I believe her to be completely safe. Mr. Delko, I want you to accompany me and page the others. We're going to have a little chat with Mr. Townsend."

Horatio could tell that Eric wasn't happy about having to leave Natalia, but Horatio also knew he would need him to help bring Nick in. Eric looked up from his pager and said, "Ok, H, Ryan and Alex will be here in a few minutes." Horatio nodded, turning to Calleigh and Natalia.

He walked over to Natalia, kneeling so that he could make sure she was looking at him. "Natalia, you're safe now. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you, and I promise you that I will make sure that he never touches you again." Natalia looked at him as if through a haze, his words barely registering. "Natalia, please focus on me. None of this is your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for, and I want you to remember that."

Finally lifting her eyes from the floor, Natalia nodded her head almost imperceptibly. Satisfied that he had broken through to her, Horatio looked at Calleigh. "Calleigh, take Natalia home and get her cleaned up. I don't want her anywhere near the lab until we get this sorted out."

"Ok H, keep us posted." Calleigh replied. Touching Natalia's shoulder, Calleigh gently led her out of the office. Eric looked at Natalia as she walked out, giving her a slight smile and gentle hug as she walked by him.

"Hey, Nat, it'll be ok. You'll see. We're going to figure this whole thing out." Looking over her head at Calleigh he said softly, "Take care of her Cal."

"Of course," Calleigh answered, before heading out the door with Natalia. Horatio and Eric sat in silence for a few moments before the door opened again to reveal Alex and Ryan.

"Hey, got your page. What's up?" Ryan asked quizzically.

Horatio didn't answer Ryan directly saying instead, "Alright, Mr. Delko, let's get started."

* * *

**Well, it's a little awkward, but I had to figure out a way to get the rest of the team involved! Couldn't let Eric and Calleigh have all the fun;) Sorry for any character dialogue that isn't totally consistent with the way they talk on the show sheepish grinshrugs As always, please read and review, let me know what you think!  
**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: This is a total work in progress! I'm very new to the show, and this is my first fanfic ever, so please review it to let me know what you think. Mostly focuses on Natalia and everything she's gone through, I guess the timeline is before Nick dies? I prolly took some liberties w/ the characters, but again, I'm new at this:)**

Note: The format is a tiny bit different, it switches to a different scene halfway through the chapter;)

* * *

Natalia looked at Calleigh as she got into the car. She was trying to think about what she would be doing right now if Calleigh and Eric hadn't stepped in when they had back in the break room. Drawing a blank, she knew she was lucky that they had been there and sighed, hating that their daily lives had been interrupted because of her.

Some of her thoughts must have flashed across her face, because Calleigh reached over and touched Natalia's arm. "Hey, you ok?" Natalia, lost in thought, nodded absent mindedly and said, "Sure, why?" Calleigh looked at her in surprise, not sure if she was out of it or being sarcastic. Natalia came out of her thoughts, realizing what she had said. Blushing slightly at her mistake, she quickly tried to correct herself. "No, sorry, that's not what I meant Calleigh. Well, actually it's pretty close, but I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Seriously, though, I'm fine."

Calleigh arched an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure? Because you know it's been kind of a rough day for you." Natalia smiled a little at Calleigh's words, allowing herself to relax. "Yeah, I'm sure Calleigh. But tank you for asking. I just wish that you and Eric and, well, I guess everyone else, hadn't had to get involved. It's really not that big of a deal."

"Natalia! I don't ever want to hear you try to minimize this! It is definitely a big deal, and saying that it isn't won't make it go away!" Calleigh responded sharply. This time it was Natalia who looked at Calleigh in surprise, but then she laughed and said, "Sorry, force of habit."

Calleigh grinned at her before rolling her eyes and saying, "And quit apologizing! You have nothing to be sorry for!"

Within a few minutes of driving, Natalia was asleep, her head resting on the window. Glancing over at her, Calleigh couldn't help but think about what an amazing person she was. Despite everything, all of the terror and pain and abuse she had endured, she was still able to rebound and joke around.

_Of course_, Calleigh thought, _I don't know how much of it is real and how much of it is just an elaborate facade she puts on for my benefit and comfort._ Regardless, Calleigh was constantly amazed by the courage and determination Natalia showed, but she was still glad that she would be there to keep an eye on Natalia.

She slowly turned the corner and pulled up to Natalia's apartment. Looking over at Natalia, she could see that even with the cheerful, strong front Natalia was showing, the ordeal was still taking its toll. The Miami sunlight brought out the dark circles under her eyes and she was pale underneath her tan. Calleigh just hoped that everything that had happened to Natalia was in the past now, no more than a memory.

Natalia stirred, sitting up and yawning. "Hey, since when is the ride from the office to here so short?"

Calleigh couldn't help but smile at her comment before saying, "Ok, let's go on in and get you cleaned up."

* * *

_Back at the office..._

Ryan sat in Horatio's office, trying to process everything he had just been told. He couldn't believe it. The facts just refused to mesh in his mind. How was it possible that Natalia-strong, stubborn, confident- could have been hiding this? Although, when he really thought hard about it, it did explain a lot. Like her perpetual jumpiness, for example.

Realizing that it was true, that it wasn't just some sick joke, just made his own self-esteem plummet. How could he not have noticed? And was Natalia ok now? Where was she? Why were Eric and Horatio telling him this? Did Natalia want him to know? There were so many questions, he felt like his poor brain was going to explode with them all.

Judging by the look on Alex's face, she was handling it better than him, if only marginally. Finally collecting himself enough to talk, he asked, "Ok, so what are we doing?" Eric and Horatio looked at each other before Horatio answered.

"We're going to find Nick, and we're going to bring him in." Eric started talking then, saying, "We don't know where he is now, but he was here around an hour ago, so he can't be far, and we don't think he'll go very far and let Natalia out of his sight for very long."

The words made Eric's blood boil just thinking about Nick trying to control Natalia. Maybe some other woman, but not Natalia. She was too free, too independent, to be able to be caged like some sort of animal in a zoo.

Continuing, he said, "So, we want to start with his last known, anyone who's seen him, parole officer, everything and anything that might help us bring this guy in." Looking at the faces of all the other people in the room he could see his own determination mirrored, and he hoped it would be enough to catch Nick.

* * *

**Ok, well, there you have it! And apparently I'm in an exclamation point kind of mood, cuz I was reading through it and I noticed that I somehow managed to end virtually all of Calleigh's lines with exclamation points... lol, sorry if that bugs you. It's short, but I'm trying to tie up all the loose ends and random characters, I'm going to try to conclude it within the next 2-3 chapters. Please R&R!! :P  
**


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: This is a total work in progress! I'm very new to the show, and this is my first fanfic ever, so please review it to let me know what you think. Mostly focuses on Natalia and everything she's gone through, I guess the timeline is before Nick dies? I prolly took some liberties w/ the characters, but again, I'm new at this:)**

* * *

Climbing the stairs to the door, Natalia slowed her pace. Nick had found her at work...what if he knew where she lived? Calleigh asked, "What's wrong?"

Natalia shook her head, saying, "It's silly, I know, but what if he's in there? What if he tracked me here?" Her tone was light but Calleigh could see that there was real fear in her eyes over the thought that Nick might have followed her home. "Ok, I'll go in first." Calleigh said, drawing her gun. Based on what she had heard and seen of this guy, she wasn't taking any chances.

Natalia unlocked the door, and Calleigh stepped quickly inside. Surveying the room, she saw no signs of anyone else having been there. Everything seemed neat and undisturbed, tidy and orderly. "Hey, I think it's ok," she called out to Natalia. Natalia breathed a sigh of relief before entering her apartment. "C'mon, lets get you into bed." Calleigh said, steering Natalia towards the bedroom.

* * *

Eric heaved a sigh of frustration as he sat staring at maps with pins stuck in various locations. The pins represented all of the places that Nick Townsend had been seen within the past 48 hours, but despite his best efforts and the efforts of everyone else on his team, Eric had been unsuccessful at actually finding Nick. Eric knew that Ryan, Horatio, and Alex were every bit as frustrated as he was, and they were all working as hard as they could to find Nick. They had been working on the case for the past 7 hours, poring over maps, telephone records, spending accounts, eyewitness descriptions, and medical records in the hopes of finding some clue as to Nick's location.

The medical records had really hit home with the team. They had all seen the medical records from the various times Natalia was admitted to the hospital or taken to the ER before Nick's arrest, and the damage was staggering. Eric couldn't believe that she had survived some of her injuries, particularly the ones from the final time. _A shattered arm, three broken ribs, a collapsed lung, multiple lacerations to her head, arms, and legs, and countless bruises..._ _How is she the person she is today after all of that? _Eric's thoughts trailed off as Horatio came over to him.

"Eric, I want everyone to call it a night. We aren't going to get anywhere any faster if the whole team is exhausted. I think it would be best if you went and spent the night with Natalia to give Calleigh a break too, if you don't mind." Eric's reply was instantaneous: "Of course, Horatio. I'll head over there now."

* * *

Knocking softly on the door to Natalia's apartment, Eric hoped she would be ok with him spending the night there. The door opened to reveal Calleigh, one hand resting lightly on her gun. Eric raised his hands, saying, "Whoa, Calleigh, easy there. It's just me." Calleigh scoffed, "I'm not going to shoot you, Delko, but I don't want to take any chances either."

She gestured for him to come in, and he hesitantly crossed the threshold into the apartment. "She's sleeping in the bedroom right now, she's pretty beat up and sore, but I think she's going to be ok. I guess she's alright, especially under the circumstances, but don't let her over-exert herself." Eric nodded, unable to stop a tiny smirk from appearing on his face at the tone Calleigh was using with him.

"Relax, Cal, I know what I'm doing. She's safe with me."

"I know she is Eric," Calleigh said, touching his shoulder, "Just let me know if you need anything or if anything happens. I'll come right over." Watching her head down the stairs, he couldn't help but laugh at her obvious sense of superiority when it came to taking care of someone.

"What's so funny?" He heard a voice ask from behind him. Turning, he saw Natalia leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom. She looked a little gaunt, but her voice was cheerful and she seemed to be holding up ok.

"Nothing," he said, "Are you hungry?" Natalia nodded, "Famished." She sat on a stool as he heated some soup. "Nothing too gourmet, but it's still good stuff."He grinned, but Natalia could tell he was concerned.

"Thanks for coming, Eric, I really appreciate it." She made a face as she burned her tongue on the soup, and he smiled at her impatience. "Of course. You didn't honestly think I was going to let you be alone for even one second until I know that creep is behind bars did you? Because if you thought that you would be dead wrong."

Natalia shrugged. "I don't really know what I thought, but all the same, it means a lot to me that you're here." She finished the rest of her soup in silence, lost in thought. She stood when she was done and wobbled, still a little unsteady on her feet. Instantly Natalia felt Eric's hand steady her, and she allowed herself to lean into him for the briefest of moments as she caught her balance.

"Ok, you're obviously in dire need of more rest, let's go." Eric kept a supportive arm around her waist to make sure she didn't fall as she walked to the bedroom. Without even thinking about it he went in with her before realizing what he was doing. He reddened as she turned to give him a questioning look, but he couldn't seem to make his legs move him back out of the room.

Natalia chose not to say anything, instead simply moving to the dresser and grabbing some sweats and a t-shirt to change into. Before Natalia started changing, she turned back to Eric, who stood rooted to the same spot. She gestured that he should at least turn around if he wasn't going to leave, and she could barely suppress the grin that threatened to spread across her face at his boyish embarrassment. Once she was certain he was looking the other way, she shimmied out of her slacks and began to tug her sweats on.

She groaned inwardly as she realized that one arm was totally useless and the other didn't have enough strength to help her change her shirt. For a second she debated just staying in her dress blouse, but she knew that it would just mean more questions from Eric, so she drew in a deep breath and walked over to him. "Eric..." she could feel the heat rising in her face, "Could you help me? I can't get it..."

Eric nodded, instantly comprehending what she was trying to say. "Turn around," he instructed. Natalia complied, shivering at the sudden feel of his fingers whispering along her back as he lifted the shirt over her head. He carefully maneuvered it over her arms so as not to hurt her before reaching for the t-shirt.

_God she's beautiful_ Eric thought as his gaze traveled quickly over her smooth skin. A small frown appeared on his face as he noted that it was marred only by old scars and new bruises. Helping her pull the shirt over her head, he allowed his fingers to linger a second longer than necessary on her, unconsciously gently pulling her closer to him. Natalia could feel her heart speed up as all of this was happening, and she was surprised to discover that she didn't want to break the contact between them. Pulling back only enough to turn to face Eric, she started to say something but found herself suddenly lost in the love and desire she saw radiating from his kind brown eyes.

"Natalia..." Eric whispered, before feeling the sudden press of her lips on his. Her body was flush against his, and he could hardly believe that this was actually happening. He broke away, wanting to make sure that this was what she wanted, but when he looked into her eyes he saw only his own love and desire mirrored in them. Natalia smiled, and he leaned in for another gentle kiss before hugging her tightly to him.

"I love you."

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**Alright, sorry this took a little longer than expected to post, but life's been hectic. So, just to say I'm sorry, i tried to make it longer and include some romance! Not a lot(obviously!), but it's a start. AND, it's now the WEEKEND!! YAY! So, happy Friday to all and please submit reviews!  
**


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: This is a total work in progress! I'm very new to the show, and this is my first fanfic ever, so please review it to let me know what you think. Mostly focuses on Natalia and everything she's gone through, I guess the timeline is before Nick dies? I prolly took some liberties w/ the characters, but again, I'm new at this:)**

* * *

Natalia snuggled in closer to Eric's body, smiling as she felt his arms tighten protectively around her even in sleep. She still almost couldn't believe that he wanted her. Her! But he had held her while she cried, told her it would be ok, that he wouldn't never let anything hurt her ever again, and she could tell he meant it. Carefully moving herself away from him so as not to wake him up, Natalia rose and padded down to the kitchen to get a drink of water. She glanced out the window, and the smile froze on her face.

_Nick's car. _Her thoughts raced. _What was it doing out there? Was he in it? How did he know where to find her? What if he was already inside? _Her water forgotten, she turned to go back to Eric. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the man stepping out of the shadows of the hallway until it was too late.

She tried to scream as she felt a hand cover her mouth, but all that came out was a smothered squeak. Natalia went to bite her attacker's hand, but he punched her hard in the stomach a couple of times, causing the wind to go out of her and leaving her helpless. She felt herself being dragged back towards the kitchen, and she went limp in his arms, hoping to delay him and make at least a little more noise in the hopes of waking Eric.

In response to the sudden dead weight in his arms, the man hit her hard upside the head, making the edges of Natalia's vision go dangerously black. Dragging her the remaining few feet back into the kitchen, he grabbed a knife from her knife block.

Turning her so he could get a good look at her, the man smirked at her prone form. The kitchen lights and the new angle finally allowed Natalia to see who was attacking her. 

_Nick._ Her mind almost went blank with the fear she suddenly felt, but she forced herself to stay in control. He was _not _going to get her to go along with this quietly. He leaned in, whispering, "Miss me?" Overcoming the revulsion and fear she felt at his movement and close proximity, Natalia jerked her head sharply, smacking his head with her own. He dropped her at the sudden pain and rush of blood coming from his nose, and Natalia fell to the floor and tried to crawl away.

_Almost there_ she thought, reaching her arm out for the doorway. She gasped as she felt Nick's boot connect solidly with her side, and her body instinctively curled up into a ball. She couldn't breathe. Natalia tried desperately to inhale something, anything, but it felt like her lungs had shriveled up inside of her and stopped working. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Nick's dark shape looming over her, grinning.

* * *

Eric awoke with a start at the sound of a soft thump from outside the bedroom. The hallway was dark, and he was about to call out for Natalia when he thought better of it. Instead, he took out his phone and dialed Calleigh's number.

Her phone rang twice before she picked it up, saying sleepily, "Eric? What's up?"

Trying to keep his voice low he said, "Calleigh, I think someone else might be in here. I don't know where Natalia is, I'm going to go look for her, but if anything happens I want you to get H here with paramedics as fast as you can."

Calleigh was silent for a moment, but then she replied, "Ok, Eric, I'll call them now, but please be careful, ok? I'm going to head over now, I'll be there in five minutes." Eric heard the click of her phone as she hung up.

He grabbed his gun off the chair where he had set it before cautiously entering the hallway. Once he saw that it was clear he moved down towards the kitchen. A light was on, but he didn't hear any more noises. Moving quickly now, Eric went towards the kitchen, darting around the corner with his gun drawn.

The sight that greeted him was almost beyond comprehension. Nick had Natalia on the floor in a barely-upright position, and Eric could see her leg was twisted at a sharp angle and she was bleeding from several deep gashes on her arms. What shook him the most, however, wasn't the fact that she was unconscious and hurt, but the large kitchen knife that Nick was holding to her chest.

"One move and she dies, lover boy," Nick hissed. He grinned maliciously, knowing he had Eric's hands tied. "You never should have gotten involved with her. She should have known better, she's _mine_, nobody else's. Oh well. She knows now." His grin got even bigger as he saw Eric's fists clench. _Wow, I really got him rattled. Sucks to be him. Sucks even more to be her._

Natalia's eyes fluttered, making Eric's heart jump painfully. "Ok, Nick, just let her go. You taught her a lesson, she knows. I'll never go near her again, just let her go now." He was trying to stall for time, anything to give him a chance to think of something to do, but his heart sank at the sneer that appeared on Nick's face.

"You don't honestly think I'm going to just let her go do you? Because I don't think she really understands the lesson yet." He drew the knife across her cheek with just enough pressure to make a thin slice in the skin. "No, I think I'm going to take this nice and slow, and you're going to watch or she'll die right here and now. Now, why don't you just set that gun down on the table so we both know where it is."

Eric slowly moved to set the gun down. "There you go, Nick, right there on the table. Nobody needs to get hurt here." Nick chuckled.

"No, somebody needs to get hurt here. Natalia." The sudden gunshot startled him as he moved to cut Natalia again and almost without thinking he moved the knife up and into Natalia's rib cage with a sickening sound.

"NO!" Eric flew the few feet to Natalia, who was now slumped over. Nick stared unbelievingly at the red stain spreading from his chest before looking up and seeing the blonde standing in the open doorway. _Bitch. She shot me!_ He fell over backwards as his last coherent thought left his mind.

Calleigh rushed to Natalia's side with Eric. She gasped as she saw the growing pool of blood. "Eric..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Eric shook his head hard, trying to focus on what he could do to save Natalia.

"Calleigh, help me put pressure on this." Calleigh nodded, running and grabbing the sheets off of the bed.

"The EMTs should be here in the next minute, I called them before I left," Calleigh said, trying to help Eric staunch Natalia's wounds. Natalia's eyes opened for the briefest of moments at the sounds of their voices.

"Eric...Calleigh..." Her voice was weak and her eyes closed again. "Stay with me, Nat, damn it, fight!" He didn't take his eyes off of Natalia even as he heard the sirens outside and the EMTs rushed in with a stretcher. Calleigh pulled him away from Natalia as she was taken out of the door.

"Come on, we'll meet them at the hospital."

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**Sorry it took so long to post this, life got in the way:p I hope you like it, i'm hoping to post the next chapter either later tonight or tomorrow, depending on how fast i can come up with it. Please review and let me know what you think!  
**


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: This is a total work in progress! I'm very new to the show, and this is my first fanfic ever, so please review it to let me know what you think. Mostly focuses on Natalia and everything she's gone through, I guess the timeline is before Nick dies? I prolly took some liberties w/ the characters, but again, I'm new at this:)**

* * *

Eric and Calleigh sped into the parking lot of the hospital. They had gotten there in record time due to the lack of traffic at one a.m., but it had still felt like hours. Eric was out of the car before it had fully stopped, and Calleigh wasn't far behind him. They ran into the ER, looking for anyone who might be able to tell them where Natalia was and how she was doing.

"Horatio!" Calleigh exclaimed as her eyes finally lit on a familiar face. Horatio walked slowly towards them, and Calleigh felt her heart sink at the somber look on his face. "How is she?" Eric could barely get the words out, and he knew what the answer was going to be even as Horatio said it. "Not good."

"But is she going to be ok?" Horatio slowly shook his head, and the strain and guilt of not being able to do anything showed on his face. "Eric, they're doing everything they can, but he did a lot of damage. She's in surgery now, they'll let us know." Even though he had been expecting the words to come, they still hit him like a load of bricks and Eric felt his legs start to go out.

He stumbled to a chair next to where Calleigh was already seated, head in her hands. Glancing at the clock, he noted the time. _1:15. _Everything had happened so fast. It had just come up out of nowhere, he had been supposed to be there to protect her, and he had failed.

_She has to be ok. I don't think I can live without her..._ _She can't leave me now that we've only just found each other._

Looking at Calleigh he could tell that she felt the same way. She didn't want to lose it in front of everyone when she wasn't even the one who was hurt, and she was trying so hard to keep it together and be strong. But try as she might, Calleigh couldn't escape the image of Natalia's brown eyes full of pain and fear, the terror on her face.

Horatio was talking on his cell phone, a look of intense concentration on his face. He hung up and walked over to Eric and Calleigh. "They pronounced Mr. Townsend dead at the scene. The night shift is going to go ahead and process the scene for us. I called Alex and Ryan, and they both said they're on their way."

Eric could only nod, but he stood quickly as the doctor came out of the operating room. The doctor looked absolutely exhausted as he walked over. "We did everything we could. She's in ICU, and we're going to have to go in for further operation, but she'll be ok if she can keep fighting."

The last few words were all Eric and Calleigh needed to hear to break the tension that had been building, but then the doctor spoke again. "There may, however, be permanent damage to her mobility as a result of the broken ribs and shattered tibia."

Eric nodded, knowing that as long as she was alive he could help her make it through anything. "Can we see her?" he asked. The doctor nodded but added, "Only one at a time."

Calleigh looked at the anxiousness clearly visible on Eric's face and she sighed, saying, "Alright, fine, Delko, you win, you can go in first." Eric followed the doctor into Natalia's room. The sight of her laying pale beneath the stark white sheets killed him, and he wanted to just hold her and make everything better.

"'Talia?" he questioned softly, hoping for an answer. He didn't get one, so he inched closer to the bed and took the hand that wasn't bandaged in his own. He squeezed it gently, trying to convey to her without words how much he loved her and needed for her to get better and wake up. He tore himself away from her side as Calleigh came in.

Calleigh moved to the side of the bed, speaking quietly. "Nat, honey, we're here. You just need to wake up now, please, just wake up and be okay." A sob escaped her as she held Natalia's hand, her creamy pale skin contrasting with Natalia's tan. As if in sudden response to Calleigh's words, Natalia's eyes opened just barely enough for her to see.

"Cal?" She couldn't get the rest of Calleigh's name out and her voice was barely audible. Still, it was enough, and Calleigh turned. "Natalia! Hang on, let me get Eric." She ran out, returning with an ecstatic Eric behind her, both of them disregarding the doctor's order to go in one at a time. Eric was at her side in a split second, and Calleigh could see he had something to say to Natalia.

Deciding that there would be time for talking with Natalia afterwards, she quietly left the room. Natalia looked at Eric through bleary eyes. "Hey..." she said weakly. "Hey yourself," he answered. God, she looked so fragile and spent... "How are you?" A small smile appeared on her lips as she replied, "Well, I've been better.." Her words were suddenly cut off as Eric's lips came crashing onto hers. Even in her semi-conscious state she reveled in the feel of them, knowing that this was what she wanted.

Everything that had happened seemed to just melt away as he kissed her, and she groaned with disappointment when he broke away. Smiling down at her, he shook his head. "Nope, Nat, not now." Still smiling at her obvious disappointment, he crawled onto the bed with her, gently wrapping his arms around her.

"There will be plenty of time for that later," he whispered, and Natalia felt herself instantly relax in his arms.

This was where she belonged, in Eric's arms, and for the first time in a long while she felt safe.

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**Ok, well, there it is. I skimped on the last chapter, sorry, but i get bored with tying up loose ends. Please review, let me know what i can improve on for next time!(besides my terrible conclusions;) Thanks for reading!  
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